Apparatus for producing rubber hydrochloride



Dec. lr6, 1941. H. F. lRvlNG E-rAL -v l 2,266,044

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING RUBBER HYDROCHLORIDE Filed July 16,1958 2 .sheeis-sneeti LA I N N l *1 L ma f l S K w w W |||||||||||l|||l $85 w Nui TX Tmp .In Q 1 m N K m w Dec. 16, 1941. A H. F. IRVING ETAL 2,266,044

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING RUBBER HYDROCHLORIDE Filed July 16, 1938 2 .Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING RUBBER HYDROCHLORIDE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus particularly adapted for treating solid material with liquids.

An object of the invention is to provide a quick and economical means for producing reaction products of solid material with liquid reagents. Y

Another object is to provide an apparatus for producing amorphous rubber hydrochloride in a continuous or semi-continuous manner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following detailed description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, of Fig. l, also partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view partly cut away showing the mechanism for operating the apparatus of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view of the feed mechanism, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional View of the feed mechanism showing a diferent position than in Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference character I denotes a wheel having a plurality of receptacles 2 around its periphery. The Wheel I is surrounded by and adapted to rotate in a cy-v lindrical chamber 3, adapted to hold cold liqueiied hyrogen chloride. This chamber 3 is protected by insulation 4 and has a conduit 5 for the admission of the liquid hydrochloride.

A conduit 6 having slide valve 29 is also connected to the top of the cylindrical chamber 3 and is adapted to receive bundles of rubber (l) and allows them to be fed through valve 29 into the receptacles 2 as the wheel I rotates and brings the empty receptacles in front of the opening 8 in the conduit 6 at the time valve 29 is open.

In the peripheral portion of the chamber 3, as shown in section in Fig. 2, is a piston-like pusher rod 9 having an end disc portion I I adapted to Contact bundles in the receptacles 2.

A second and larger cylindrical chamber I2, having inlet conduit I3 and overow conduit I4,

is positioned adjacent to the cylindrical chamber L 3 and so that its upper periphery is slightly below the upper periphery of the cylindrical chamber 3.

Connecting the peripheral lateral portions of the cylindrical chambers 3 and I2 is a conduit or passageway I5, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, adapted to receive bundles pushedout of receptacle 2 by the pusher rod 9 and transfer the bundles into chamber I2. An exit pipe 28 for removal of hydrogen chloride is also connected to the passageway I5.

A wheel I6 is adapted to rotate Within the cylindrical chamber I2. A plurality of prongs, I'I, I8, I9, and ZIJ extend radially from the wheel I6 to'within close proximity of the peripheral walls 2| of the cylindrical chamber I2. These prongs are spaced apart from. each other in a direction parallel to the axis of the wheel to allow the passage of the prong 22 as the wheel rotates. Other prongs, I'Ia, 18a, ISa and 20a, and so forth, also extend radially from the periphery of the wheel I 6 in spaced relationship around the periphery of the wheel. The series of prongs thus spaced around the circumference of the wheel form pockets or receptacles adapted to hold bundles 'IR received from conduit I5.

Attached to the cylindrical chamber I2 is an exciting conduit 23 adapted to extend above the level of the liquid in the chamber I2. This conduit is bent at 24 in order to direct the bundles 'IR' downwardly through conduit 25 into shredder 26, thence into mixing tank 2l. y

Suitable motor means and auxiliary mechanism are used to rotate the wheels I and I6, to open and close the valve 29, and operate the pusher rod 9 in such synchronism that the unreacted bundles 1 will always drop into an empty receptacle in the wheel I as the reacted bundles IR are removed from a receptacle in wheel I and transferred to an empty receptacle in wheel I6. This operating mechanism consists of a motor 39 having a chain drive 3| adapted to drive Wheel 32. Wheel 32 has a tooth 33 meshing with gear wheel 34 which is secured to the axle 35 of the wheel I6. Also secured to the axle 35 is a gear 36 having a chain drive 31 meshing with gear 38, on axle 39 of wheel I. `0n axle 49 carrying the gear wheel 32 is a cam. Ymember 4I adapted to contact projection 45 on rod 42, thereby causing the rod 42 to move downwardly as the wheel 32 rotates. This rod 42 is secured to the conduit 6 by a spring 43 adapted to pull the rod 42 upwardly when it is released by the cam 4I. Attached to the rod 42 is a T-shaped rocker arm 44, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. Attached to one end of the T is the pusher rod 9 having a piston II adapted to push against the bundle 1R. Secured to the pusher rod 9 is a slide valve 41, adapted to close the opening in the conduit 6` as the bundle 1R is pushed out. This is shown more clearly in Fig. 5. At the other end of the T is the slide valve 29, adapted to close the opening in conduit 6 as shown more clearly in Figure 4.

It will be seen that as the wheel 32 and cam member 4| rotate the cam member 4I pushes the rod 42 downwardly, operating the rocker arm 44 and causing the pusher rod 9 and slide valve 41 to move to the right, and the slide valve 29 to move to the left, thereby allowing the bundles 1 to drop on to the slide valve 41 as shown in Fig. 5.

As the cam continues to rotate and comes out of contact with the projection 45 the rod 42 is released and moves upwardly because of the action of the spring 43, thus moving the pusher rod 9 and the slide valve 41 to the left and the slide valve 29 to the right as shown in Fig. 4. By this means the bundle held by the slide valve 41 is released and drops into the receptacle on wheel I as also shown in Fig. 4.

Meanwhile the wheel 32 is rotating but not meshing with gear wheel 34. Just before it completes one revolution it meshes with gear 34, causing the rotation of the wheel I just sufficiently to move the bundle 1 out of range ofthe pusher rod 9 and the bundle 1R into range of the pusher rod 9.

The process of making amorphous rubber hydrochloride in the apparatus of this invention is as follows:

The cylindrical chamber 3 is filled with liquefied anhydrous hydrogen chloride to about the level 28' as shown in Fig. 1. The cylindrical chamber l2 is filled with concentrated solution of hydrogen chloride and water to about the level indicated at 29 in Fig. 1. The wheels I and I6 are then rotated by motor means 30 shown. Rolls of rubber 1 consisting of corrugated sheets of pale crepe are placed in the conduit 6 and drop down into the receptacles 2 of the wheel I when the valve 29 opens on every revolution of the wheel I. Likewise as the wheel rotates, the bundies 1 are immersed in the liquefied hydrogen chloride and react with it, producing bundles cf amorphous rubber hydrochloride 1R. As these bundles 1R emerge from the liquefied hydrogen chloride they are pushed out of the receptacle 2 by the motor operated pusher rod 9 and disc II into the conduit I where they fall into the pockets in the wheel I6 as this wheel I5 rotates.

The rotation of the wheel I6 carries the bundles 1R down into the concentrated hydrochloric acid. As thebundles 1R travel through this hydrochloric acid they are raised in temperature, due to heat transfer between the bundles and the hydrochloric acid. This heating of the rubber hydrochloride vaporizes the excess hydrochloride liquid which is then recovered directly through exit 28. On emerging from the hydrochloric acid the bundles 1R' contact the rod 22 and are directed up into the conduit 23, thence down through the conduit into the shredder 26, each bundle being pushed over the bent portion 24 by the succeeding bundles as they are released from the pockets of the wheel I6. 'Ihe bundles are ground in the shredder 26 into granulated rubber hydrochloride. The ground rubber hydrochloride is removed from the shredder and washed with water in the mixing tank 21.

While there have been shown and described certain embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the appended claims, in which it is the intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as possible, in view of the prior art.

We claim: 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a wheel having a plurality of receptacles around its periphery, a cylindrical chamber enclosing said wheel but spaced apart from the periphery of the wheel so as to allow the wheel to rotate through fluid which may be held in said chamber, a second wheel having a plurality of receptacles around its periphery, a cylindrical chamber enclosing but spaced apart from the periphery of said second wheel adjacent said first chamber,

means for maintaining a rst liquid at a definite level in the rst chamber, means for maintaining a second liquid at a definite level in the second chamber, a passageway extending from the lateral peripheral portion of one chamber to the lateral peripheral portion of the other chamber at points above the liquid level in each, whereby solid material in the receptacles of one chamber may be transferred to the receptacles in the other chamber, means to eject said solid material from one of said receptacles of said first wheel, means associated with said ejecting means to feed a predetermined amount of solid material to said evacuated receptacle, and means to intermittently advance said rst wheel so that another receptacle is adjacent said ejecting and feeding means. 2. In an apparatus of the class described, a wheel having a plurality of receptacles around its periphery, a first chamber for said wheel so as to allow the wheel to rotate through fluid which may be held in said chamber, a second wheel having a plurality of receptacles around its periphery, a second chamber for said second wheel and adjacent said first chamber, means for maintaining a first liquid at a definite level in the first chamber, means for maintaining a'second liquid at a definite level in the second chamber, a passageway communicating with each chamber at a point above the liquid levels therein, whereby solid material in the receptacles of one chamber may be transferred through said passageway to the receptacles in the other chamber, means to eject said solid material from one of said receptacles of said rst wheel into said passageway, means associated with said ejecting means to feed solidv material to said evacuated receptacle, and means to intermittently advance said first wheel so that another receptacle is adjacent said ejectingand feeding means.

HENRY F. IRVING. FLOYD E, WILLIAMS. 

